Objective To explore the effects of sumatriptan on the modulation of calcitonin generelated peptide(CGRP) expression and its involving intracellular signaling transduction mechanisms in rat trigeminal ganglion(TG) after organ culture.Methods Using organ culture in vitro model,54 isolated TGs of SD rats were randomly divided into fresh group ( n =6 ),control group ( n =6 ) and experimental group (n =42,6 TGs for each subgroup).Experimental group included seven subgroups,which were respectively pretreated with four different concentrations of sumatriptan,specific inhibitors of extracellular signalregulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway (U0126 and PD98059 ),and the inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) (SP600125).After co-cultured with above intervention agents for 24 h,CGRP-immunoreactivity (CGRP-ir) positive neurons and CGRP-mRNA expression levels were quantified by immunohistoehemistry stain and real-time polymerase chain reaction,respectively.Phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) and JNK (pJNK) proteins levels were determined by Western-blotting method.Results The CGRP-ir ( + ) neurons expression levels were significantly increased after 24 h organ culture.However,0.10 and 0.50 mg/ml concentrations of sumatriptan remarkably decreased the CGRP-ir ( + ) neurons expression levels.The positive cell percentage,positive optic area,integrated optical density,mean optical density and CGRP-mRNA expression level in TG were significantly reduced than control groups (tPCP =8.652,26.382; tarea =6.220,13.917; tIA =5.606,15.904; tM14 =2.661,21.748; tmRNA =8.032,15.675.P ＜ 0.05 ).The CGRP-mRNA expressions were significantly down-regulated after co-incubation with concentration of 0.50 mg/ml sumatriptan for 24 h in TG of SD rat ( P ＜0.05 ).The levels of pERK1/2 and pJNK protein kinase detected by Western-blotting were significantly reduced by 0.50 mg/ml concentration of sumatriptan,the degrees of which were closed to the ERK1/2 and JNK pathway specific blockers.Conclusion It suggests that the optimal concentration of sumatriptan significantly down-regulates CGRP over-expression via intracellular ERK1/2 and JNK signaling transduction pathways in TG after organ culture.

The Chinese herbal medicine Tianma (Gastrodia elata) has been used for treating and preventing primary headache over thousands of years, but the exact pharmacological mechanism of the main bioactive ingredient gastrodin remains unclear. In present study, the effects of gastrodin on calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (pERK1/2) expression were observed in rat trigeminal ganglion (TG) after in vitro organ culture to explore the underlying intracellular mechanism of gastrodin on primary vascular-associated headache. CGRP-immunoreactivity (CGRP-ir) positive neurons count, positive area, mean optical density and integrated optical density by means of immunohistochemistry stain were compared at different concentrations of gastrodin, which was separately co-incubated with DMEM in SD rat TG for 24 hours. Only at 5 or 10 mmol L(-1) concentration, gastrodin demonstrated significantly concentration-dependent reduction of CGRP-ir (+) expression and its action closed to 1.2 mmol L(-1) sumatriptan succinate. While at 2.5, 20, and 40 mmol L(-1) concentration, gastrodin did not show remarkable effects on CGRP-ir (+) expression. The optimal concentration of gastrodin (5 and 10 mmol L(-1)) similarly inhibited CGRP-mRNA expression level separately compared with 1.2 mmol L(-1) sumatriptan succinate and 10 micromol L(-1) flunarizine hydrochloride, which was quantitatively analyzed by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). pERK1/2 level was examined by Western blotting after co-cultured with optimal concentration of gastrodin and effective specific ERK1/2 pathway inhibitors PD98059, U0126. The result indicated that gastrodin significantly reduced pERK1/2 protein actions similarly to ERK1/2 pathway specific blockade. It suggests ERK1/2 signaling transduction pathway may be involved in gastrodin intracellular mechanism. This study indicates gastrodin (5 and 10 mmol L(-1)) can remarkably reduce CGRP-ir (+) neuron, CGRP-mRNA and pERK1/2 expression level in cultured rat TG, with its actions similar to the effective concentration of sumatriptan succinate, flunarizine hydrochloride and specific ERK1/2 pathway blocker. The intracellular signaling transduction ERK1/2 pathway may be involved in the gastrodin reducing CGRP up-regulation in rat TG after organ culture.

This paper reviewed the dose calculation method for treatment planning system of multi-source stereotactic radiotherapy system with Gamma beam, and presented a fast method based on cone coordinate system and multi-core parallelization. The experiments show that the new method not only ensures the accuracy of dose calculation, but also greatly improves the speed, which can reach as 20 times as that of traditional method.
Algorithms ; Gamma Rays ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; methods

Objective To explore the characteristics and influencing factors of cognitive dysfunction in patients with essential tremor (ET).Methods We recruited ET patients diagnosed by the Department of Neurology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi`an Jiaotong University and healthy volunteers who matched the ET patients in age, gender and education level for the study.We recorded all the patients` demographic information, tremor degree, and family history based on the family tree.All the participants were tested by MMSE, MoCA, ADL, HAMD and HAMA.Results There were 88 ET patients and 63 normal subjects included in the study.According to MMSE, 31.82％ of the patients had cognitive dysfunctions, with orientation, short-term memory, calculation ability, language skills, retelling, reading comprehension, three-level command and drawing being significantly lower than those of the healthy volunteers (P<0.01);orientation was the most serious damage in cognitive function domain (K=0.624, S=0.726);three-level command was the least serious damage (K=0.274, S=0.319).According to MoCA, 86.36％ of the ET patients had cognitive dysfunction higher than normal people (P<0.05);visual space and execution, clock drawing task, naming, attention, 100-7, language skills, abstract thinking and orientation were significantly lower than normal people (P<0.01);the most serious damage in cognitive function domain was visual space and execution (K=0.651, S=0.786); the least serious damage cognitive function domain was “100-7” (K=0.406, S=0.484). Education level and age affected cognitive dysfunction (P<0.05). ADL scores showed negative correlation with cognitive function (correlation =－0.375 and －0.383, respectively; P<0.001). After the effects of anxiety and depression were excluded, onset age and tremor grading were correlated with cognitive dysfunction (P<0.05). When the above factors were put into binary Logistic regression model, education level was found to be contributed to the model (P<0.05).Conclusion Patients with ET widely suffer from cognitive impairment. Age, education level, daily life disability, age of onset, and tremor degree classification can affect cognitive dysfunction.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX) is a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cardiovascular system. The family of NOX includes seven isoforms, and expressed in different cardiovascular cell types and cell compartments, modulating multiple functions, such as cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, apoptosis, senescence, and inflammatory responses. The NOX-derived ROS are involved in many processes associated with cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetic vascular disease, ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction, and so on.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; NADPH Oxidases ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Oxidative Stress ; Reactive Oxygen Species